Air Fryer Taquitos

low angle shot of the taquitos with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and lime wedges

4.58 from 21 votes

Craving crispy taquitos without the grease? These Air Fryer Taquitos are the answer. They're packed with a flavorful filling of shredded chicken and refried beans, wrapped in a crispy tortilla shell, and air-fried to perfection. Perfect for a quick snack or an easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love.

Course Chicken Recipes

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword air fryer, air fryer appetizers, air fryer snacks, chicken taquitos, taquitos

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings servings

Calories 148kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

1 cup shredded chicken
¼ cup green salsa or salsa verde I like Trader Joe’s Hatch Valley Salsa
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese or use a Mexican blend
½ cup refried beans
10 corn tortillas
Oil for brushing or spraying

Instructions

Wrap the tortillas in foil.
Place the foil-wrapped tortillas in the air fryer and heat at 400ºF for about 5 minutes.
While the tortillas are heating, in a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, salsa, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Stir to mix well. Add the cheese and toss to incorporate it.
Remove the tortillas from the air fryer and place a parchment paper liner in the air fryer basket, if desired.
Spread each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of refried beans, then put a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture in a line down the center. Roll the tortilla up around the filling and secure with a toothpick if necessary. Place each filled and rolled taquito in the air fryer basket, seam side down if not using toothpicks.
Mist or brush each taquito all over with oil (you can use olive, safflower, sunflower, canola, avocado, corn, etc.)
Cook in the air fryer for about 7 minutes, until the taquitos are light golden brown on top.
Turn the taquitos over, mist or brush with a bit more oil, and cook for 4 or 5 minutes longer, until they are golden brown and crisp all over.
Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Notes

Heating the tortillas before filling them makes them more pliable. Don't skip this step or they're likely to break when you try to roll them up.

Use regular taco size corn tortillas, not the tiny street taco size.

Use pre-cooked chicken. I use either leftover roast chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. You can also quickly poach some breast or thigh meat and then shred it.

Nutrition